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Saturday, 21 July 2007

Phoenix... [5]

Contd....Crucial areas of conflict:Computerisation –Unfettered right to Banks?Computerisation in Banking Industry, more so in State Bank, is a big story in itself.Computers made an entry in Banking Industry through State Bank in mid sixties before which they were merely a topic of academic talks without any thing substantial in practice. By mid seventies it started gaining momentum and by eighties they were in operation in full swing. During Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as Prime Minister of India, computer was a priority subject. He himself was well conversant on computers having a keen interest and a great aptitude for their operation. There were two reasons for this –one that he appeared on political scene as a champion representing the youth of the country and to attract them more votes wise he was hankering to go for some thing dynamic on technological front keeping in mind in the meantime that it was a most powerful tool to herald a new era of progress and development distinguishing him enormously as against an old and outmoded leadership then obtaining at the national level in the country –the other reason had its roots in nationalization of Banks in 1969 by his great mother Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister. Catching up on the popular slogan that Banks in majority were in the hands of Rajas and Maharajas or big bullies in business who failed to serve the common people in the country, Indira Gandhi took a drastic measure nationalizing 14 major banks which act on her part was capable enough to bring her laurels and more of popularity in public. Rajiv Gandhi too was for a popular footage on the similar pattern picking up the Banks again as an easily available choice for the purpose identifying them as the base for it. Management in different banks in general and that of State Bank in particular has the tradition of jumping to joining as the first one in the que to appease the Government on all counts and there could hardly ever be a ‘some body’ to raise any voice of protest howsoever illogical, untimely and problematic was the direction so issued. Masters directions from Delhi were over hurriedly adhered to by the bankers placing computerization as their priority number one task on their agenda. It was ofcourse a different matter that the priority task failed to elicit a required response at the implementation level for the reason that bankers refused to take a notice of the fact that projects like this warranted a large scale mobilization and awareness generation amongst staff and public in general to make the scheme acceptable to them. ...Contd...